GROWING GOLD. 75 



oak plantations is better understood, most of 

 these evils will be remedied. 



The timber and plantations in some other 

 Royal Parks are in quite as bad a state as 

 this ; — there is not a single tree, from thirty to 

 a hundred years old, in the parks which I have 

 examined, growing at its full natural rate. 

 It, perhaps, will be said, the intention is not 

 to grow timber for profit in this place, but for 

 ornament only; this admission is sufficient, 

 because it must be granted that the finest 

 specimens are the greatest ornament. These 

 can only be grown under the most impenetrable 

 shelter ; when a tree is full grown, then is the 

 time to clear away the trees near it, so that 

 it may be seen and contrasted with the round 

 headed oak, or thorn bush in the distance. 



On the south side there is a plantation 

 containing firs of six or seven years' grovfth, 

 planted, as it was stated, because the soil is 

 too poor to grow oak trees, yet there is an oak 

 tree of considerable size growing in the middle 



